Koto-chan, The Catalyst of Love
by Enya Talisman
Summary: Cause in all honesty, things would have gone much slower without Koto-chan going missing. [For signbear]


This story is for signbear, whom I owe a lot to. I don't own Love Live.

XXXXXX

"That's it Elichi! Hold that pose for me!" A purple-haired photographer asked a blond-haired model. "Got it! Thanks Elichi!"

"It's fine Nozomi. So which photo are you going to take for the magazine cover?" Eli asked Nozomi, peering over her shoulder to get a peek at the shots taken.

"No idea... I need to let Nicocchi see it first, after all she IS your manager."

"Yeah you do. Lemme see those!" A raven-haired woman snatched the camera out of Nozomi's hands and scrolled through the photographs taken.

"Nicocchi... I could give you a breast rub y'know..." Nozomi flexed her hands in a groping motion, scaring Nico.

"Okay okay I get it, here's your damn camera! Oh right, Eli please remember not to get personal with us... Especially boob demon here, you two have been so lovey-dovey recently." Nico warned Eli, causing Eli to blush.

"W-What?! I'm not acting lovey-dovey with Nozomi! Geez! Why must you remind me so much Nico?!" Eli retorted, not happy that she was seen as a kid in Nico's eyes.

"Nicocchi's idol career was ruined because she entered a relationship with someone in the idol industry."

"Seriously?! You were an idol once?! Ahahaha!" Eli laughed so hard until she literally rolled on the floor laughing. Nico silently fumed at the side while Nozomi explained to Eli.

"Oh yes, she was caught having se-mmph!" Nico stuffed a piece of caramel into the photographer's mouth.

"Shut up! Eli Ayase, as your manager I demand you the forget everything you heard from Nozomi!" Eli gulped and silently nodded.

"Yuck! Nicocchi you know I hate caramel! Ew ew ew ew ew ew..." Nozomi immediately spat the brown candy out from her mouth and drank countless glasses of water to get rid of the sweet taste.

"Yeah yeah I know you hate it. Anyways, Eli you're free to go home." Nico dismissed Nozomi's complaint and gestured Eli to go back home.

"Really? Thanks Nico, see you tomorrow then. You too Nozomi." Nico and Nozomi waved back before going back to their work. Outside of the agency, Eli noticed a grey bird perched on a statue.

"Koto!" The bird chirped out. Eli was taken aback, never had she heard a bird chirping like that.

"Uh... You're pretty unique... You even have a tuft of... feathers tied up in a green ribbon..." The bird chirped once more before flying towards Eli's right shoulder.

"Koto!"

"O... kay? I should probably bring you back with me. What should I call you..." Eli thought for a moment before naming the bird. "How about... Kotobird? Do you like it?"

"Kotoooo!" Kotobird let out a cry of happiness before flapping around Eli.

"I'll take that as a yes... Come along Kotobird, I'm taking you home with me." Eli told Kotobird, waiting for her to settle back on her shoulder before going home.

XXXXXX

"So let me get this straight, your pet bird has left her cage?" A blue-haired woman confirmed with a grey-haired woman again.

"That's right Umi-chan! Koto-chan is gone! Can you help me?" The grey-haired woman begged Umi.

"Of course, I'm a detective after all. I'll help you find your bird Kotori." With that, Umi went off to find Kotori's bird.

"Eh?! But Umi-chan, I haven't told you how Koto-chan looks like! Umi-chaaaaaaan!" It was already too late though, Umi had left the vicinity in order to search for the bird. In a nearby cafe, laughter could be heard along with some matchmaking plans.

"Really now, is that model a honest person? We can't have Umi-chan stalking her you know!" A ginger-haired barista laughed heartily.

"Don't worry Honoka, she's honest! But a little dense..." Nico sighed, picking up her espresso.

"Well so is Umi-chan. Speaking of which, did I tell you that Kotori-chan's bird went missing?" The barista continued, preparing another cup of coffee for herself.

"Nope. So Umi was hired to find that bird?" At this moment, the door opened.

"Hang on Nico-chan. Welcome to Kosaka's Cafe! Please make yourself comfortable!"

"Honoka? I need your help." Umi walked over to Honoka and promptly sat down beside Nico.

"Sure, do you want a coffee?"

"Give me a Bailey Irish then. Thanks Honoka." Umi took out a notepad and a pen out of her jacket, placing these two items on the table.

"Here you are Umi-chan! So, what do you need my help for?" Honoka placed Umi's Bailey Irish Cream coffee on the table while waiting for Umi to speak.

"I need you to tell me how Koto-chan looks like and her last known location. I forgot to ask Kotori about it." Umi gently pushed the notepad towards Honoka.

"I can tell you her last location but I can't draw Koto-chan..."

"Why not?"

"You know I failed art in high school! Nico-chan, help me out here!" Honoka turned to Nico, who was busy looking through her handphone for any important news.

"Geez... Alright fine, I'll draw Koto-chan. Give me a few minutes..." Nico reached out for the notepad and pen but was stopped by Umi.

"Who are you?! I don't know you so I can safely tell that you aren't related to Koto-chan! Did you steal her?!" Umi asked, her hand slowly reaching out for her gun hidden in her jacket.

"What?! No I didn't! I'm Nico Yazawa, Honoka's girlfriend of four years!" Nico retorted, banging the table while at it.

"Yeah Umi-chan, Nico-chan and I are dating! Didn't I tell you?"

"No you didn't. Sorry for accusing you Yazawa-san." Umi apologised before taking a sip of her coffee. Nico then drew out a picture of Koto-chan while Honoka hummed a tune.

"Here you go." Nico handed a drawing of Koto-chan to Umi.

"Thanks. Honoka, where did you last see Koto-chan?"

"Uh... I think it was in the neighbourhood where Nico-chan works."

"Which is?"

"Uh... Ginza right Nico-chan?" Nico nodded before taking a call from Nozomi.

"At least it's something... Thanks Honoka, help me thank Yazawa-san too." Umi stood up and gulped down her coffee before heading out of the cafe.

"I should have told Umi-chan the name of the building Nico-chan works at... Nico-chan, what is the name of the building you work at?"

"Ilovesexybabes. Why do you want my workplace's website?" Nico had just got off the phone and replied Honoka.

"I asked for the name, not the website... And what kind of a website name is that?!" Honoka looked at Nico, horrified and worried for her girlfriend's safety.

"Oh the name. It's 'BDSM Agency'. And the website name is way better than our previous workplace's website name..."

"BDSM?! What the hell is wrong with your boss?!"

"Busty Dense Sexy Model Agency Honoka. It's just an acronym..."

"I... have nothing else to comment on..." Honoka concluded, not too sure whether to be impressed over the creative acronym or to be horrified at the boss's perverse mind.

"I've stopped commenting years ago. Like I said, it's better than WHORE Agency."

"That was the most humiliating job I've ever had Nico-chan..."

"Well I didn't. At least I fulfilled my dream as an idol..."

"True. I wonder if Umi-chan will find Koto-chan..."

"That reminds me. We need to get back to our matchmaking."

"Right!"

XXXXXX

"All I have to do is to photocopy this picture and I'm set..." Umi muttered to herself as went into a local bookstore to photocopy the picture of Koto-chan. Before handing the picture needed to be copied, Umi wrote down her handphone number so that she could be contacted.

"How many copies?" A brown-haired woman asked.

"Give me 30, thanks Hanayo." Umi replied, taking out her wallet.

"Here you go Umi-chan, that will be 285 yen." Hanayo handed a stack of freshly copied paper to Umi.

"Here you are. By the way, did the price go up?" Umi paid Hanayo the cash before collecting the stack of paper.

"Yeah, we wanted to save paper."

"I see. Anything I should take note of?"

"As a regular, I recommend that you take a look at this!" Hanayo produced a magazine from her counter and gave it to Umi. "It came out an hour ago!" Umi placed the stack of paper back on the counter in order to flip open the magazine.

"Hmm... A fashion magazine...?" Umi wanted to comment more on the magazine but stopped as she locked eyes with the model on the front page of the magazine. "O-Oh wow..."

"She's quite pretty right? I can see why you're drooling like that Umi-chan!" Hanayo teased Umi.

"Y-Yeah... Wait now's not the time to ogle at a model! I need to find Kotori's bird! See you next time!" Umi dashed out of the bookstore with the magazine in hand, leaving Hanayo time to sort out the books on her counter.

"W-Wait! Umi-chan! You left the stack of paper on my counter! Umi-chaaaaaaaan!"

XXXXXX

"Nn... gh! Ah... I've finally completed all these admin stuff Nico asked me to do..." Eli stretched herself before going towards Kotobird.

"Koto!" The bird flapped her wings, lifting herself slightly before settling back on to the perch Eli had made.

"Haha... Are you hungry? I could go down to the pet shop across the street to get you some bird food..." Eli asked, unsure whether Kotobird was hungry or not.

"Koto!"

"... It's difficult to understand bird speech... Okay then, just stay here and don't leave the house..." Eli grabbed the house keys on the counter before heading out.

"Koto!" Before leaving, Eli swore she saw Kotobird waving with a wing, as though she was sending someone off.

"Hm? Ah whatever, time to get some food for Kotobird..." Eli brushed it off and ran towards the pet store.

"Rin's Pet Store nya! What do you need nya?" An orange-haired woman with a boyish hairstyle asked Eli.

"Uh... I need some pet food for birds."

"Sure, what kind of bird do have nya?" Rin was met with confusion as Eli racked her head for an answer. "Uh... Didn't the guy at the pet centre tell you what kind of a bird it is nya...?"

"No... I found it on my way back home... If it helps, the bird is grey in colour and goes 'Koto'..." Eli replied, noting down any features Kotobird had.

"Koto... nya? Are you sure that's even a bird nya? Rin never heard of this bird before nya!"

"I seriously have no idea too... Anyway, what do most birds eat? I'll take that." Eli sighed before taking out her wallet in order to pay for the bird food.

"Here you go nya! You don't have to pay for this, it's on the house nya~" Rin lazily took out a small bag of sunflower seeds and gave it to Eli.

"Really? Thank you very much then." Eli left the store with the bag of seeds in hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a notice tacked on to a lamp post. "If you have seen this bird, please contact Umi Sonoda via this number... Hang on, isn't this Kotobird?! I better call this person quickly..." Eli rushed home with the notice crumpled securely in her hand.

XXXXXX

"Haa... Still no news of Koto-chan..." Umi sighed to herself as she started blankly at her handphone. Seeing as she had nothing else to do, she picked up the fashion magazine she had conveniently forgotten to pay and stared at the model on the front page. "She's so pretty... Her body's good too... Unlike mine that is..." Umi looked down at her chest and let out a sigh for the umpteenth time that day.

"Hey. What's up Umi?" A red-haired woman with slightly messy hair asked.

"Nothing really... Just crying over the fact that I'm flat chested and so plain looking..." Umi replied, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"I see. Hey isn't that Eli Ayase? She's quite famous in the model industry." The woman glanced at the front page as she asked Umi about the model's identity.

"Who? Never heard of her... But she's so pretty, how can I not heard of her...?"

"You normally don't look at fashion magazines... Anyways, I once saw her entering my neighbour's apartment. Also, wipe that drool off your face. It's seriously getting annoying." Umi sheepishly wiped her drool off and gazed at the woman's chest.

"Maki..."

"Yeah?"

"What's your bra size?" Maki blushed and gave Umi a tight slap across the face.

"Are you so hung up on your chest?! It's perfectly fine for your chest size to be like that!" Before Umi could think of a comeback, her phone rang.

"Hello? Ah yes I'm Umi Sonoda, how can I help you? Eh? Koto-chan is at your house? Is it possible if I come to your house to collect Koto-chan? Alright, give me 30 minutes. Yes, thank you very much!" Umi hung up, beaming with happiness.

"Your friend's pet bird got found?"

"Yeah! Thank god... I'm going over right now, could you help me to-"

"Cover your admin stuff that both of us hate? Sure, take your time." Maki waved Umi off before grabbing a piece of paper from Umi's table.

"Sorry! I'll make it up to you at Honoka's!" Umi rushed off to the address that she was given.

"It's fine! Now how do I do this...?"

XXXXXX

"Okay now stay here Koto-chan. Your owner is coming any moment now..." The door bell was rung, signifying that the person Eli had expected was here. "Coming!"

"I'm Umi Sonoda, the person who put up the notice. Thank you for-" Umi stopped as she faced Eli.

"Um... Is there something wrong...?" Eli asked, worried that she may have done to upset Umi.

"N-Nothing. I-I'm just surprised to see THE Eli Ayase here..." Umi adverted her gaze, her face heating up rapidly. 'Oh god I look like some awkward freak!'

"I-I'm not so famous... Anyway, would you like to come in? Koto-chan is right over there." Eli offered, wanting to break the silence.

"S-Sure! Please excuse me..." Umi timidly stepped Eli's apartment while Eli was lost in her own thoughts.

'She's quite a cutie... Her golden eyes, that adorable blush on her face, her alluring navy blue hair and that perfectly straight back... I'm sure Nozomi will kill for Sonoda-san's ramrod straight back...' Eli mused to herself as she escorted Umi to the room Koto-chan was in.

"Ah Koto-chan, Kotori is worried about you! Let's get you back home okay? Thank you very much once again Ayase-san..." Umi mustered all her strength to resist the urge to rush out of the apartment just to avoid seeing Eli.

"You're quite hot you know that Sonoda-san?" Eli uttered the very first thing that was on her mind. Unfortunately, that very statement caused Umi to faint. "S-Sorry! I meant to say something else but- Sonoda-san? Oh dear, she's out cold..."

When Umi woke up, the very first thing she saw was two mountains.

"Ngh... Mountains...? Where am I...?" Umi groggily sat up, her mind still in a daze.

"Ah Sonoda-san, you're awake! You fainted just now so I... uh..." Eli trailed off, smiling sheepishly.

"I-I'm sorry to have imposed on you! Bye!" Umi started to head for the door but was stopped by a slight tug on her sleeve.

"S-Sonoda-san, is it all right if I call you again?" Eli asked hesitantly.

"S-Sure... Also, call me Umi. T-There's no real need for formality..." Umi's face reddened upon hearing the model's request. "U-Um... I hope to see you again Ayase-san... Bye!" With that Umi left the house in a heartbeat, leaving Eli no time to even wave goodbye.

"Haa... What should I do...? My face is all red..." Eli pressed her hands to her cheeks and went back to her kitchen to make some coffee.

XXXXXX

"So you're saying you are in love?" Nozomi asked, idly drawing a tarot card from her deck. She smirked as she saw the symbol on the card.

"That's terrible... Eli, you need to guard your private life well from now on!" Nico slammed her fists on the table, scattering the deck of tarot cards on it.

"Hey! My cards!"

"Sorry... Anyways, who's this lucky person?"

"Well... She's a nice person and has straight blue hair. Also, she has golden-brown eyes and is embarrassed easily..." Eli replied Nico, gathering back Nozomi's cards into one neat pile.

"Thanks Elichi. By the way, I know how to get this girl as your lover~" Nozomi grinned a little as she motioned Eli to come closer. "Wanna know?"

"Yes of course! Tell me!" Eli eagerly moved closer to Nozomi, waiting to hear what the purple-haired photographer has to offer.

"You should use all your charm and woo her. That way, you can get her."

"Boob demon's right. If it's anything you have it's charm." Nico nodded her head to Nozomi's advice.

"You're right! I can do this!" Eli got up, confident that she could woo Umi.

"Great. By the way, what's her name?"

"Umi Sonoda. I met her yesterday when she was finding Kotobird." Upon hearing Umi's name, Nico promptly knocked over Nozomi's cards.

"Nicocchi! Do you want a breast rub?!"

"Eeeeeeeek! I'm sorry! Eli, do you want to see her again?" Nico covered her chest so as to protect herself from being groped.

"Yeah! Why, can you help me?"

"Sure, why not? Actually, I was planning to hook you up with her as both of you are single."

"Really?! That's wonderful! When would I meet her?" Eli's cerulean orbs were now sparkling immensely as she heard Nico's intentions.

"I recommend tomorrow! After all, it's a Saturday. Also, you can treat her dinner while wooing her in the process~" Nozomi suggested, her hand waving with the Lovers card in her hand.

"Thank you, both of you! I'm really really happy that I can finally meet Umi again!" Eli wiped a tear from her eye.

"Dude, you only saw her yesterday. Whatever, I'll make the plans..."

XXXXXX

"You seem nervous. What, having a date tonight?" Maki teased, sipping her coffee while sorting out paperwork.

"Not really... Maki, how do you act on dates?!" Umi slammed her fists on the table before resting her head on the table.

"Eh? I've never went on dates before... Anyway, just act like yourself." Maki gave a look of annoyance before turning her attention back to the paperwork. "Oh yeah, stop destroying the office. It's getting annoying..."

"Sorry... But I need to prepare for my date tomorrow!"

"Who are you even dating anyway?! It's not like you're dating Eli Ayase whom you have a mega crush on!" Upon seeing Umi's expression, Maki immediately regretted her words. "Oh. You ARE going on a date with Eli Ayase."

"Yeah... I'm having dinner with her tomorrow. According to Honoka that is..." Umi sighed. Maki, out of instinct, patted Umi's back.

"Just be yourself. But don't show that you're nervous."

"Thanks Maki, Say, what should I wear for tomorrow? I'm supposed to meet her outside the station at 6.45 pm..."

"Depends on kind of restaurant. If it's a classy one, then dress formally. If it's a fast food restaurant then dress casually."

"Should I wear a dress tomorrow...? Or just my blouse...?"

"You know what? I'm done with this problem of yours. I'm leaving." With that, Maki left the office. Umi simply sat in her seat and sighed once again before packing up.

"I just hope I can survive my dinner with her tomorrow..."

XXXXXX

"Oh god... I hope I'm not too early... Umi will feel guilty if she finds out that I'm here earlier than the meet-up time..." Eli murmured to herself as she glanced at her wristwatch.

"Haa... Haa... Sorry! Have you been waiting long?" Umi panted as she ran towards the spot where Eli was at. Umi was wearing an elegant purple blouse with an A-line skirt, her hair tied into a stylish ponytail. Eli was no doubt stunned at the beauty in front of her but managed to keep herself in check.

"I've just arrived, shall we get dinner?" Eli asked, extending her hand for Umi while remembering Nozomi's advice to be as charming as possible. "Oh by the way, that blouse really looks good on you."

"I-Is that so? Anyways, where are we headed for dinner?" Umi accepted Eli's hand with a blush prevailing on her cheeks, flustered from Eli's casual compliment.

"Just a restaurant that I know of downtown. We're here." Eli stopped in front of a restaurant, her eyes meeting Umi's gaze. "Shall we enter?"

"A-Ah, sure..." Umi squeaked out, noticing the mysteriously attractive tone of Eli's. 'I don't remember her being this composed on the day I collected Koto-chan...' Before she could fully process her thoughts, she was ushered to a table by a familiar grey-haired woman.

"Umi-chan? Are you okay?" The woman snapped her fingers as an attempt to get Umi's attention.

"H-Huh?! Kotori, what are you doing here?"

"I work here remember? Oh and Ayase-san was it? Thanks for taking care of Koto-chan! Here are your menus, enjoy your date~" Kotori took a small bow before leaving the table.

"Is she the owner of Koto-chan? She's quite cute, of course not as cute as you Umi." Eli commented, her cerulean orbs locking on to golden ones.

"W-What?! Don't tease me... Kotori's clearly cuter than me and yes, she owns Koto-chan... Enough about me though, let's decide what to order!" Umi stuttered out, her face turning beet-red with every compliment from the model.

"Speaking of ordering... There are only two meals we could actually order on this menu..." Eli glanced through the menu, noting down the childishly adorable menu which was adorned with drawings of the food included in the menu.

"I've a feeling that Kotori customised this menu for us... After all, this is her handwriting. And the drawings look suspiciously similar to Yazawa-san's..." Umi muttered, analysing the menu.

"Oh well, might as well get them right? Excuse me, may I place my order?" Eli flashed Umi a megawatt smile before turning to Kotori. "May we have the lobster and steak meals please?"

"Of course! Your meals will be ready in 15 minutes." Kotori collected back the menus before disappearing into the kitchen.

"So... How did you meet Nico?" Eli asked the first question in her mind.

"I was trying to search for leads as Koto-chan went missing... I found out that Yazawa-san was dating Honoka, a childhood friend of mine and Kotori." Umi replied, her eyes focused on something else.

"I see... You seem troubled, is there anything I could do to help?" Eli asked, her hand slowly trailing up to Umi's.

"There's nothing on my mind right now so..." Umi blushed slightly, aware of Eli's warmth on her hands.

"Are you sure? I'll do anything to get rid of that troubled expression of yours. After all, it would be a waste of that pretty face..." Eli grinned playfully, but only a little. Umi's heart started to pound faster as she saw how the model was flirting with her. Thankfully for Umi, their dinner arrived, effectively saving Umi from any more possible embarrassment.

"T-The food's here! Let's start eating shall we?" Umi stammered out while cutting up the steak provided.

"I suppose we should. This lobster is really good! You should try some Umi~" Eli held up a piece of her own lobster for Umi to try.

"E-Eh?! I-It's embarrassing!"

"Aw come on, just one piece?

"F-Fine..." Umi reached out to take the fork from Eli's hand but was swatted gently by the latter.

"No Umi, I'm going to feed you. We're on a date remember? Now say ah~"

"A-Ah..." Umi accepted the lobster with a reddening face. "Hey you're right, this IS good..."

"Told you so~ By the way, you look extra cute when you're eating something~" Eli innocently smiled as though what she said was not embarrassing in the slightest.

"E-Eliiiiii! Stop teasing me like that! Geez!" Umi's face blushed redder than before albeit an embarrassed smile was goofily plastered on her face.

"Hehe~ Sorry, couldn't resist! But honestly speaking, you are good-looking. Don't be so worried about it." A sincere smile prevailed on Eli's face, instantaneously crushing any remaining defences Umi had in her heart.

"Y-Yeah! Thank you..." Umi shakily expressed her gratitude, not knowing what to say. The two of them soon settled into a quiet dinner with a faint romantic expression lingering in the air, blissfully unaware of a camera recording their dinner at a dark corner of the restaurant.

XXXXXX

"Ah~ I'm stuffed! That was a good meal, right Umi?" Eli stretched herself while glancing towards Umi.

"Yes indeed. I enjoyed myself today, thank you for inviting me Eli." Umi returned Eli's gaze with a shy smile.

"Oh yeah, there's a place I wanna go. Will you come with me?" Eli extended her hand out as an invitation to the place she wants to go.

"Sure, I'll follow you." Umi accepted Eli's hand calmly but inside, her heart was pounding like crazy. 'Oh god... Where is Eli taking me now?! I'm so nervous... Is my face red? Oh shoot, Eli is looking over here! Do I look weird?!' Umi's thoughts came bursting forth as she wondered about Eli's next move.

"Here we are Umi. Shall we enter?" Eli stopped in front of a jewellery shop and turned towards Umi. "Umi? Are you okay?"

"H-Huh?! A jewellery shop?" Umi snapped out from her trance and gaped at the brightly-lit shop that was made even more sparkling with the jewellery shimmering under the light. "It seems more like heaven to me..."

"I know right? This happens to be named as Heaven's Gift. Kinda fitting after hearing you say that." Eli beckoned Umi towards a piece of jewellery she was eyeing at.

"What is it Eli?"

"Look at this necklace, do you like it?" Eli pointed an elegant aquamarine necklace.

"Yeah, it's really pretty. It'll look good on you." Umi agreed with Eli while staring at the necklace's price. 'Wow now that's cheap... 49584 yen, I thought it'll be worse... Maybe I should get this for Eli...'

"It'll be better if it's around your neck Umi. Aquamarine can literally mean the sea, just like your name Umi. Excuse me miss, may my date try this necklace on?" Eli turned towards a lady tapping her nails on the glass.

"Sure sure. Here you go miss." The lady took out the necklace and the box while speaking monotonously. She carefully laid the box on the table and went back to entertaining herself.

"I'll put this on for you. Hold still." Eli cautiously picked up the necklace and placed it around Umi's neck. "Harasho! You look absolutely stunning in this!"

"I-Is that so...?" Umi turned bright red as she heard Eli's persistent compliments yet again.

"Yup! I think I'll get you this for our first date!" Eli beamed happily, a childish grin plastered on her face.

"W-Wait you don't have to! I mean..." Umi stopped for a brief moment before continuing. "I mean... isn't the time spent during our date a better memory for our first date?"

"U-Umi... You're right. This date is a better memory than a gift."

"Does that mean you aren't buying that? If so, please get out of here. I really wanna close up and go to sleep." The lady bluntly commented, an irritated look evident on her face.

"U-Um I'll be taking that! Thanks!" Umi blurted out without giving much thought to her words. Only after a second later did her words sink in.

"Hehe~ You did want it after all... It's fine~" Eli teased Umi before wrapping her arms around Umi's waist.

"T-That was on impulse..." Umi looked away from Eli's gentle gaze, embarrassed to act so selfishly in front of the woman she liked.

"Here you go. That'll be 49584 yen." The lady gave Eli a silver box containing the aquamarine necklace. "Free tip. Help her put it on at her doorstep."

"Yes! Thank you very much!" Eli paid for the necklace and walked out of the shop hand in hand with Umi's.

XXXXXX

"Here we go, I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight." Eli said, taking Umi's hand.

"I really enjoyed it... When may I see you again?" Umi asked, relishing in the warmth of Eli's hands. Eli took this opportunity to place the necklace around Umi's neck.

"You really look beautiful in that necklace... As for your question..." Eli placed a swift kiss on Umi's lips before drawing back. "Maybe I'll invite you to have coffee with me at Honoka's cafe tomorrow for lunch?"

"S-Sure! Does that mean we're going out?"

"Definitely. Good night." Eli kissed Umi for the last time before walking back home. Umi went inside her house to reassure herself that she wasn't dreaming of her date with Eli. While she was replaying the date in her mind, she received a message.

 _From: Honoka_

 _Hey Umi-chan! How did ur date go? Dun leave out the juicy parts! ;)_

Umi smiled at her best friend's message before replying back.

 _To: Honoka_

 _Today was really fun, I'm glad Koto-chan went missing..._

XXXXXX

Extra:

"Hey guys, check out Umi-chan's dinner with Ayase-san!" Kotori switched on a recorder which displayed last night's dinner.

"Oh wow! Is that Ayase-san feeding Umi-chan?" Honoka exclaimed, eyes glued to the recorder's screen.

"That Eli... I told her to keep her love life low!" Nico grumbled, waving a magazine in her hands that read 'Model Ayase having dinner with mysterious beauty!' along with a picture that depicted Umi getting fed.

"It's fine isn't it Nicocchi? You're here happy with Honoka-chan who caused a scandal 4 years ago and I'm here happy with Maki-chan~" Nozomi said in a sing-song voice, cuddling Maki.

"Hmph, good thing you're just a photographer... Who leaked that picture out?" Maki asked.

"According to inside gossip, it was the restaurant's manager who leaked a picture out..." Hanayo said.

"Being a cashier in a bookstore sure is useful nya!" Rin beamed, proud that her girlfriend had inside information that only she knew. Even though it has nothing to do with being a cashier, not that Hanayo or the rest will point that out to Rin.

"It'll be bad if Eli or Umi finds out about this..." Nico remarked, sipping her coffee. Maki and Rin blanched immediately as they saw who were at the door.

"Find out about what?" Golden orbs locked onto similar ones. Kotori let out a small 'eep' before hurriedly switching the recorder off.

"Yes Nico, tell us what you seven want to hide." Cold cerulean eyes glared at ruby ones. Nico broke out into a cold sweat and turned to the remaining six, who were hiding under Honoka's counter.

"You guys! S-Someone save meeeeeeee!" Nico cried out as the duo approached her menacingly.

XXXXXX

A/N: This story is actually for signbear who has been churning out many wonderful chapters in Tea, Latte, Coffee, Spice! I felt that it was unfair of me to request pairings when I didn't give in return, hence the birth of this story. Also I really want to thank signbear for dedicating a story for my birthday despite the busy schedule! signbear, I know I'm kind of shortchanging you for only giving you one story when you've done a lot for me and I apologise for it... Anyways, thank you for being a great friend even when I'm really just a pain most of the time and letting you down more often than not.


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